


Cat-Like Reflexes

by RobinsonsWereHere



Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alcohol, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Feels, Implied Sexual Content, Infidelity, Pre-Canon, Weddings, bouquet toss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26243374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinsonsWereHere/pseuds/RobinsonsWereHere
Summary: Five times Juliet O'Hara caught a wedding bouquet, and one time it was her turn to throw one.
Relationships: Juliet O'Hara/Original Male Character(s), Juliet O'Hara/Shawn Spencer
Comments: 16
Kudos: 32





	Cat-Like Reflexes

**Author's Note:**

> If you didn't know, there's a wedding tradition (maybe just American? IDK) that involves the bride tossing her bouquet, and whoever catches it will be the next to get married. I took a hc I had about Juliet catching Marlowe's bouquet and ran with it.

**I.**

Juliet doesn’t remember much of her college roommate’s wedding. 

She might be the maid of honor, but the whole thing is really too informal for that. She’s nineteen years old, they’re on a spring break trip to Vegas, and Megan had decided to marry the pool boy she’d hooked up with the night before.

It’s worth mentioning that they’re all _wasted._

After the ‘you may kiss the bride’ (and the lengthy kiss that follows) Megan throws her glitzy fake bouquet in the air with a shrill giggle. Juliet, laughing as well, jumps up and catches it.

“You’re next!” Megan shrieks, and Juliet just laughs.

Still, she goes looking for Walker. He’s a good guy, willing to come along on this trip with her and her crazy friends. She thinks they’re serious enough to laugh about this together.

“Heeeey, Mark,” she slurs, finding Walker’s best friend at the bar. “Where’s Walker?”

“He wen’ that way.” Mark jerks a thumb towards a room with an entrance covered in a curtain… though the curtain really is useless, seeing as the room is walled with glass.

She barely even has to get close to see the dancers inside… one of whom is grinding on her boyfriend.

Juliet swallows the taste of bile, glaring at the bouquet in her grasp.

Maybe she and Walker aren’t as serious as she’d thought.

**II.**

Juliet is the maid of honor at her mother’s wedding.

Well, second one.

It’s a little weird for her to see her mom getting married. But she trusts Lloyd, at least, more than she had in the beginning, when she’d first seen the results of his background check. He makes her mom happy. She’s happy for them.

Still, she’s glad when the ceremony is over and she can mill through the reception, her yellow bridesmaid dress the only thing that makes her stand out. It’s rather garish, honestly, but despite her repeated attempts to steer Maryanne toward a more pastel shade, she’s still stuck looking like a highlighter.

She finds her boyfriend, Grant, nursing a beer at a corner table. He gives her a small smile when she arrives. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she answers. “Sorry to make you sit by yourself… but I’m all yours now.”

“I’m glad.” He fidgets with his napkin. “I don’t really… know anyone here.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” She reaches out to take his hand. “Thank you for coming; it means a lot to me.”

“I’m glad,” he murmurs.

Juliet feels like there’s some unspoken tension, growing into a worry that seats itself in her chest. But before she can prod Grant any further, an announcement comes from the speakers that had previously been playing 70s disco music.

_”All the ladies out there, it’s time for the bouquet toss! Please come up near the stage and our lovely bride will throw the flowers!”_

Juliet laughs. “I guess that’s my cue.”

Grant shrugs and looks down at his beer. “Yeah. I guess.”

She catches this bouquet, too, but Grant looks so uncomfortable that she discards it soon after. By now she knows she’s not imagining the tension between them, but it’s not until they’re driving home that either of them says anything about it.

“Juliet,” Grant sighs, “I don’t think this is gonna work.”

She looks over at him, her jaw dropping. “What?”

“I just… meeting your family tonight made me realize… you’re not the girl for me. This is moving too fast. It doesn’t feel right.”

Juliet folds her arms. “We’ve been together for almost a year!”

“Yeah, and it was fun at first, but we’re not… we’re not going anywhere. When you caught that bouquet, I realized… I can’t see a future with you, Juliet. I’m sorry.”

She swallows hard. “You’re breaking up with me because of a wedding tradition.”

“I’m breaking up with you because I don’t have any feelings for you anymore,” he corrects. “It’s just… the spark isn’t there. It’s gone.”

Well.

It doesn’t feel like it’s gone for _her._

Juliet nods and angles herself away from him.

“You can drop me off at my place,” she says quietly.

**III.**

Juliet is an extrovert. She’s good at small talk, and good at making friends. But even for her, being essentially abandoned at a stranger’s wedding is a challenge.

She’s had more to drink than she should, so when the bouquet toss is announced, she participates more for the purpose of keeping herself busy than anything else. She doesn’t even really mean to catch it.

“Alright,” she says aloud, looking down at the roses in her hands, “I’m going to go find John now.”

John is her newest boyfriend; they’ve been dating for about two months. He’s really understanding of how her work schedule keeps her away sometimes, so she feels lucky to have him, but she has to admit, his behavior tonight hurts a little bit.

Wandering the halls, Juliet pushes open the first door that she sees is even slightly ajar. “John?”

Heavy panting and loud moans alert her to what’s really going on here. She’s about to stumble away, pouring apologies, when she recognizes the two going at it on the couch.

The woman she doesn’t _know,_ but her long white dress makes it clear that she’s the bride. As in, married less than six hours ago.

And the guy…

Well, she’s found John.

**IV.**

“I’m so glad you could make it, Juliet,” Rose tells her, hugging her tightly.

Juliet beams at her best friend. “Wouldn’t miss your big day for the world, Rosie.”

“Well, you’ve got a pretty big day tomorrow,” Rose points out. “Moving all the way across the country.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“How’s James taking it?” Rose points to the bouquet Juliet still holds. “I mean, he’s gotta be committed now,” she laughs.

Juliet frowns. She’s developed a certain distaste for bouquet tosses over the years; they never seem to end well for her. “Well… he’s not thrilled about going long-distance… but he says he’s willing to try it.”

“Good luck,” Rose says, kissing her cheek. “And hey. Not that you need me to tell you this, but don’t let any man stop you from becoming the most badass detective those California airheads have ever seen.”

Hours later, Rose’s words echo in Juliet’s head.

“What’s wrong with staying in Miami?” James asks. “We’ve got a good thing going. Why do you want to ruin it?”

“Because here I’m more likely to get killed than promoted!” Juliet folds her arms. “You knew what you signed up for when we got together.”

“I didn’t sign up for moving across the country!”

“I’m not asking you to!”

“Well, everyone knows long distance is bullshit! How am I supposed to get laid!?”

“Wow.” Juliet glares at him. “You care more about your sex life than my job happiness or career success.”

“I’m just saying, what’s the rush to get promoted? We make plenty of money together. Besides, in a few years when we’re married and having kids you’re not gonna wanna work all the time.”

Juliet blinks. “Really? You think you know what I want?”

“It’s the American Dream, babe. It’s what everyone wants.”

She shakes her head. “You don’t know a thing about me.”

“So is this it? You’re still going?”

Juliet laughs harshly. “Of course I’m still going,” she snaps. “Now, I’ve got a flight in the morning. Get out of my house and let me sleep.”

**V.**

Gus had caught the bouquet originally, when Marlowe and Carlton had driven off from the ceremony. But at the reception, Marlowe had thrown it again, for just the girls this time. Juliet had leapt for it, caught it, and turned around to beam at Shawn. He’d choked on his drink, but they’d laughed together, and as he held her close while they swayed around the room, she had for once not been apprehensive at her bad luck with bouquets.

_Of course_ that means this betrayal is the worst yet.

“Shawn,” she says, her voice hoarse with unshed tears, but forceful nonetheless, “are you _listening_ to me!?”

**+1**

Even though she’d kissed him at the start of the ceremony, Juliet relishes the chance to dive into Shawn’s embrace once more as soon as they’re officially married. This kiss is even longer than the first one, and she swears it’s the sweetest one they’ve ever shared. When they finally part to breathe, their small wedding party bursts into applause.

“I love you,” Shawn whispers, cupping her face tenderly. Juliet smiles back, too emotional to do anything but nod.

“So!” Selene’s voice is loud and bright. “Juliet, are you gonna toss the bouquet!?”

Juliet laughs as she looks at the flowers she’s still holding.

“Nah,” she answers. “It’s bad luck.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I enjoy comments and kudos, and you can find me on tumblr at bijulesspencerohara !


End file.
